Chapter 308 Sharing with Her
Pei Siyan gently stroked her hair, his eyes tender. "Silly girl, haven't we changed? Are you afraid of the future? Whether facing Pei Shaoqin or a desperate man like Feng Tingyun, you've never lacked courage. In the future, you will be the Empress of Great Zhou, so what is there to fear?"
Dou Wenyi closed her eyes. She had walked step by step to where she is now, and because she could foresee the future, she had changed the fate of many people.
But she realized today that fate can also turn against you.
Lin Zhiyi and Pei Yunche are living examples. She worries that all her efforts will eventually come to naught, and she is worried about the cruel tricks of fate.
After all, she died a terrible death in her previous life!
"...Your Highness, I worry that my destiny is not worthy of such a great blessing." After a long silence, she finally spoke softly.
Pei Siyan grasped her hand. "Is it because of my past life again? What was my fate in my past life?"
"Your Highness is a born emperor. Your destiny is closely linked to that of the Great Zhou. It was you who turned the tide, defeated the Northern Di, and protected the land and people of the Great Zhou. You are the wise ruler that the Great Zhou has been waiting for."
Pei Siyan was moved and held her tightly. "We are husband and wife, one in essence. Everything I have is yours, whether it's fortune or the throne of the Great Zhou Dynasty, I am willing to share it with you. Yi'er, don't be afraid, I will be with you through everything."
Dou Wenyi's heart trembled slightly, and she softly hummed in agreement.
——
The night breeze was cool, and the light of day faded. Zhang Chengxian led his men on a rapid march. With experienced scouts leading the way, they had already figured out the whereabouts of the Imperial Guards led by Gu Yufeng and followed them closely.
They rested at the foot of Mangdang Mountain. After crossing the mountain, they would travel another thirty-four miles to reach Huazhou.
Two fast horses galloped towards them. Gu Yufeng nimbly dismounted, his face slightly cold. "General Zhang, aren't you afraid of His Highness's wrath for leaving the capital without permission?"
What exactly is the meaning of them following us all the way?
Zhang Chengxian squinted and smiled, "Commander Gu, you are carrying out the Emperor's orders and have your own mission. Do you think I'm just an idle person? Let me tell you, I am also here on orders."
Isn't the Crown Princess's order an order?
Back at the Eastern Palace, who knows who will listen to whom? That Pei Siyan guy might just be henpecked!
Gu Yufeng didn't believe his explanation at all. "I will pretend I didn't see General Zhang's dereliction of duty. As colleagues, I hope you won't go any further."
Zhang Chengxian crossed his arms and laughed freely, "Afraid I'll steal your credit? Don't worry, I'm just handling some small matters, it won't interfere with your official duties."
Gu Yufeng's expression turned solemn, and he suddenly raised his voice.
"Let me give you a piece of advice: don't take advantage of your relationship with His Highness to do whatever you want. From now on, he will be the ruler, and you will be the subject. If a subject fails in his duty, you should know the consequences!"
Zhang Chengxian frowned slightly, took the water bottle from his waist, and casually took two sips.
Just a few dozen miles ahead is Huazhou, a place with complex terrain, nestled between mountains and rivers. Further south lies the prosperous Donglai, the fiefdom of the eldest princess. She has been powerful and influential for over a decade, and there are even rumors that she has raised a private army. It is impossible for her to be so unprepared as to plot a rebellion.
There might be some unspeakable things hidden in her fiefdom.
Prince Duan has been heading south all the way, and I'm afraid he has already colluded with the Princess. They are still plotting a rebellion!
Therefore, Pei Siyan's real purpose in letting Prince Duan leave was to uproot the power hidden by the Eldest Princess.
Unfortunately, Gu Yufeng's Imperial Guards pursued them all the way from Tianning City, splitting into five groups, each with fewer than fifty men.
If they were to truly face the Princess's elite troops, they would likely suffer a setback from the outset.
Zhang Chengxian had already made up his mind and laughed, but his laughter sounded somewhat sarcastic.
After laughing, he stared straight at Gu Yufeng. "Are you afraid that I'll alert the enemy and ruin His Highness's plans? You've only brought this many men; aren't you afraid of suffering losses?"
At this point, a fire ignited in his heart. "Do you know how many men the Princess commands? With your meager Imperial Guards, do you really intend to throw your lives away?"
Gu Yufeng was stunned. Zhang Chengxian was indeed skilled in military campaigns. He could deduce the general situation based on just a few minor details, which was admirable.
At this point, there's no point in hiding it from him anymore.
"His Highness has already given me the authority to act as I see fit; this is none of your business."
Zhang Chengxian hooked his arm around his shoulder and lowered his voice, "Haven't you always wanted to compete with me? Why don't we cooperate properly today? I remember Dingzhou Guard and Tongzhou Guard aren't far from Huazhou?"
Gu Yufeng instantly understood his intention, a chill running down his spine. "Zhang Chengxian, what are you trying to do? Don't do anything rash!"
Commander Xu of Dingzhou Guard has a close personal relationship with General Zhang. Could it be that he is planning to go to Dingzhou to borrow troops?
Without the emperor's decree, it is a major taboo for military generals to mobilize troops on their own. Moreover, the situation in the court is not clear at present. Zhang Chengxian is young and has made great military achievements. There have been voices in the court impeaching him. If he continues to be so arrogant and domineering, even a god cannot save him.
Zhang Chengxian gazed at the boundless darkness. "If we don't mobilize troops, what if we get robbed by bandits? What if we 'ask for help' from the garrison? Wouldn't that give us a legitimate reason to attack?"
"Besides, His Highness gave you the authority to act as you see fit. Are you just playing around? Do you really intend to take only a few dozen men to confront the Princess head-on?"
Gu Yufeng would never do something as foolish as sending his men to their deaths. They were merely the vanguard, their main objective being to solidify the crimes of the Eldest Princess and Prince Duan, while the main reinforcements were already on their way.
However, Zhang Chengxian's method of drawing troops from the garrison under the pretext of "bandit suppression" to first set up an ambush, and then using these few dozen men and Prince Duan as bait to lure the Princess out with her main force, was not a bad one.
Zhang Chengxian continued his analysis, "Although the soldiers in the garrison are not elite, they have a lot of men. What we lack now is morale. No matter how powerful the people under the Princess are, they do not have any deep hatred for us. As long as we can capture the Princess first, even if she has tens of thousands of men, they will all surrender."
Gu Yufeng was in a dilemma, but speed was of the essence in war, and every day that was delayed would increase the danger.
But the soldiers in the garrison do not have command authority. If something goes wrong, who will take responsibility?
Zhang Chengxian was getting impatient and urged, "Time is of the essence, let's make a decision quickly?"
Gu Yufeng was also a little angry. "What does this have to do with you? Why did you get involved in this mess? Aren't you afraid of ruining your future?"
Zhang Chengxian pressed his temples and gritted his teeth, saying, "Damn it, Gu Yufeng, my future is bright, how come I never noticed you were so indecisive? Prince Duan kidnapped my friend!"
He had promised Dou Wenyi that he would try his best to secretly rescue Lin Zhiyi, but Gu Yufeng, that stubborn fellow, was his nemesis!
Gu Yufeng immediately understood, "They probably kidnapped some women, right?"
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